Name: Emma

Role: Community Safety Educationalist

A little bit about my role…

As a community safety educationalist I talk with the communities of North Wales about the dangers of fires, the consequences of fire, how to prevent fires and what to do if a fire does happen.

What activities do you do on a typical day?

As part of the all Wales strategy we visit every school in North Wales to deliver our safety messages. Usually at primary school we see Year 2 to discuss the dangers of playing with matches and Year 5 to discuss the importance of smoke alarms and evacuation plans. We sometimes do school assemblies and even visit nursery age children to discuss the role of the fire and rescue service and they get to try on a fire kit!

We also visit all secondary schools to interact with young people and show short films about fire safety and the consequences of deliberate fires - so there can be a lot of travelling around North Wales.

I also attend shows and eisteddfods to promote fire safety.

What do you enjoy about your job?

I enjoy the interaction with the children and to see them excited to try on the fire kit! I enjoy listening to what questions they ask as you are never quite sure what is going to come out of their mouths! The one question I always get asked is:  ‘What happens when you run out of water?’

I enjoy the fact that I can get the fire and rescue service’s safety messages out to as many children as possible.

Why did you choose this career?

I was a teacher for 10 years and I still wanted to have a positive role in education and be able to interact with children.

What qualifications or experience do you think are necessary to do this job?

A background in education  is required as lesson plans need to be created and syllabus need to be followed.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to pursue this career?

To do this role you need to enjoy interacting with children and the community in general and as a result a good sense of humour is required!